I am trying to preserve some new wood on my boat using fiberglass resin without using fiberglass cloth. My local boat supply shop says this should work. However, when I apply the resin it does not fully cure, it stays tacky even after a couple days of drying. I've tried adding extra hardener but it still stays sticky. The air temp. has been in the 80 degree F. Any suggestions, would painting with gel coat or another type of sealer work better?

SORRY TO SAY FISHHEAD but you were told wrong ... polyester resin is not a glue , it truly doesn't bond to wood & it staves off rot like a sive.. it does nothin' to perserve wood .. the " sticky " that you are experiancing is a wax comin' to the surface . it's okay , alittle wet sandin' with soapy water will take the sticky out of it..

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Howdy Fish Head,Actually, the problem you have is the absence of wax. Air inhibits polyester curing hence the tackey surface. Go to the grocery store and buy a chunk of Gulf sealing wax. Melt about 5 heaping tbls. of wax and mix it with 1/2 pt. of styrene monomer. Use about 2 tbls. of this concoction to 1/2 pt, resin. When the resin starts to cure, the wax is "squeezed" to the surface, sealing off the air and letting the resin cure.g'luck & c/6Hooty

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It might be too late. The hardner has already evaportated out. Thats where the wax comes in at, keep the hardner from evorating. That is another problem with polyester resin. When resin is applyed thin it take a lot longer to cure then it gets cooler over night and give even more time for the hardner to evaporate. You cant add more hardner cause you cant get it mixed in right since its spread out. Too bad the boat yard didn't recomend epoxy. HArdner in epoxy is a solid just like the resin, nothin evaporates. If it get cooler the epoxy cureing will go dorment until it heats up again. once it stays at temp long enough it will compleatly cure.